CHAPTER 2
TAKE YOUR SHOTS
Ivan, Irin's brother, drove us to Tytas's place; he insisted Irin take care of me, watch over me, don't let me drink or take anything from these fuckers—Tytas's friends, that was how he said. It should be the opposite, but it has always been this way since I came into their family's hood. Their parents are very welcoming, kind, and generous—love, caring, and especially food. They are very authentic, speak what they think but in their own ways, and embrace who they are, so it coped Irin and Ivan to be this way: brave and spirited persona, not afraid to confront what's wrong, according to their beliefs. They've been caring for me and generously giving me everything I lacked. They know how young kids like me who grew up with wealth but still lack in some part because no one is perfect or family. Even though I didn't say or tell anything, they nourish me anyway, and perhaps it's just how they are.
Irin and I are holding hands together, entering the Tytas's place, where quite a lot of people are on the way and filling the front yard. It's not private anymore, I think. Irin's wearing a white dress, contrasting my black dress like yin and yang, black and white swan. She's like an angel, and I must be her devil, but we have the same mind, not high in good deeds and not way to hell to meet the demons. We are teenagers, after all. It's all about the lesson and mistakes. She catches me when I fall, and I walk through thorns with her while holding hands. She drinks the pain with me as we face the troubles. We laugh, cry, and celebrate together. I'm ready to meet her demon, and I know she will be able to handle my dark side.
As we enter the house, through the crowd and eyes from the yard. Inside the mansion is quite different from outside, and there are not many people here, but still too many for my point of view. I see through the crowd, the glamorous gentlemen's seats, the couches surrounding them, and they face each other. I immediately see the golden-haired person wearing a plain white shirt with black pants and the copper-haired man wearing a navy shirt with black pants. His hair is pushed back. They both are looking at me.
"Let's see." Holding my hand, Irin pulls me in and whispers in my ear. "You'll see that I was right." She says.
Is she talking about Vik? I glance at them as they do at me, and suddenly, the navy shirt is before me.
"Letizia," Tytas calls me, and I look up at him.
"Hi," I greet him. Tytas looks at me without saying anything for quite a minute—too long.
"I'm here too, you know," Irin says.
He shifts his eyes to Irin. "Hi—welcome. There are many people here, but there are quite a few quiet spaces as well if you want to avoid the crowd."
"I don't mind," I reply.
He smiles, "I'll show you around," he says and signals to the servants carrying the tray of drinks. Then, he gives us one each.
"What is it?" Irin asks.
"French 75, it's not that strong," he says,
"Well, I hope you have the drink station." Irin isn't pleased with the choice.
"Heh, then follow me," Tytas says and leads us the way.
As we walk, as well as other eyes, Tytas shows the classy drink stations in the bar zone. Music plays along in the background. There is a pool at the back, a jacuzzi in the corner, and a DJ booth outside.
"Aren't you scared people will come to your… private area?" Irin asks while noticing tons of people.
"Well, the private area is off-limits. People are guarding the second floor.
"Ahh—I see," Irin says and glances at me.
"An hour later might be crowdier," Tytas says.
"I never thought you… open for everyone." I say bluntly. "Because you guys entered the final round?" He looks at me, caught off guard, and smiles a little. "How about if you win the championship…probably the whole town." I tease.
"Hehe, well, we're proud and grateful for every single match." He replies. "If you want to sit with us,"
"Maybe…later. Right now, I want to have some fun," I say
"Yeah, sitting with your buddies, we need to drink a couple of glasses at least," Irin says.
He pauses and licks his lower lip, "I understand."
Irin raises her eyebrows with a smirk. "Zia, let's go to the booth over there." She turns to tell me.
"Ah, Letizia—" Tytas tries to hold on to me by touching my back lightly with his right hand. "He won't bother you…I want you to have fun." He whispers beside my face, and I look at him while holding Irin's hand. He moves his lips near my ear. "I will come to you later if you don't come to me." He whispers again.
He locks eyes with me, waiting for my answer. Shit, he's so gorgeous, he's always gorgeous, but I never look at him like this.
I nod, and then he smiles.
"Well then…" Irin breaks the prolonged eye contact, and then she drags me away from him.
We step into the pool area. The DJ booth doesn't have a place on its own; it's open for anyone to walk past by and dance around the booth. The DJ also seems sophisticated enough to chill and not mind them, and he does not seem to care to be in his own world. We drink the French 75 again. We walk around, minding other people's existence but careless about greeting them. We put down empty glasses and take another before entering the open dance floor.
Irin and I dance together freely in our bedrooms, like no one around under the bright light and the dark sky. Who would have thought that old money like Tytas Oskar could set a party like this? It's still classy but tempting to let the spirit have fun and be free.
And the music, geez, I love this song.
"Hey, when you're going to join them…" she says while holding my hands and dancing closer to my body. "Take me with you, Kay?" I dance down with her, and she takes my hand up and lets me spin for her. "Don't go there alone."
"Yesss—" I drag my voice with a smile, "Ma'am." I lean on my face and put my forehead on hers. "Hehehe," I chuckle.
"Good girl," Irin says and chuckles with me. But how can I be in detective mode…if guards are on the second floor? " she asks while dancing and whispering in my ear.
"I know the way," I whisper back.
"Yesss! You sit beautifully and have fun at the bar, and I will be the FBI." She says with a spark in her eyes while we pull each other in and away together.
"You have to promise me…you need to be careful." I spin her, "If you get caught…"
"I won't…You know me…it's what I do." She says, combing my hair gently and holding my face. "It's gotta be something more than what we see…if, only if I can find his lair…"
"Lair?" I repeat.
"Their lair, the buddies' lair, Vik and him…Maybe they're…" She pauses and gives me a mischievous look.
"Irin… you make me imagine things."
"Hahahaha, by the way—he's looking at you."
"Who?" I quickly turn to the right side where the pool is, and many people are looking, so I don't know who she meant. Then I'm about to turn my eyes, but I lock on to the black-shirt guy with a black cap. He's leaning his back on the white fence with flowers covering it. He chins up and looks straight at me under his cap. I see barely, but I feel his eyes. His jaw is sharp as hell, even straightly facing me.
"Who else," Irin says, and I turn my face to a man in a white shirt with golden hair sitting, intended by the glamor pool bench. "Not just that," she says in my ear, and she turns to look at the target of her sight. It's Tytas, talking with his friend, but his eyes are over here. Irin holds my waist and pulls me in closer. I shift my eyes to the one I attract the most, but he's gone. I have felt something different for the past few days, and the man in black makes my body freeze and chill, like when I open the window and welcome the cold just like the man with the bike.
"Let's go, it's time, " she says. Irin holds my waist and takes me inside. "Now tell me," she says, and I take another glass from the tray for myself and her.
"There's a staircase behind the main entrance." I put my arm around her neck while she's holding my waist. "It's behind the big white shelves."
"How do you know?" She asks,
"Hehe, I used to come here like it was an amusement park."
"What!?" She shouts.
"Shhh—This place is big and hard to tour in one day." I lower my voice.
"You're fucking sneaky…oh my," Irin smirks at me proudly.
"I was young back then. I was curious." I explain. "But how do I keep the owner of the house busy?" I say as I think.
Irin stops walking and pulls me to stop. "You know how, " she says. She keeps looking at me and glares at me until I realize.
"Irin…" I call her softly.
"Please…" she begs, "I know you kinda…into him a bit." She says,
"What?" I'm a little shocked.
"I see it—the intensity. Don't tell me you don't feel anything." She says,
"I—a little." I soften my voice. I don't want to lie, but our interactions these days make me feel something.
"Hehe, he's literally into you. He fucking can't take eyes off you—as it is right now," she says.
"What?" I turn around and see Tytas is coming this way.
"Be with him. Vik will come to you if you don't." She holds my face back and says, and she's about to leave. She sends the signal for me to look outside. I see Vik, who is looking at me, and Felicia, who enjoys chatting with her besties.
"You better find something," I say lightly.
Irin winks at me, and she leaves.
"Hey," Then. Tytas calls me from behind. I turn to see him. "Where is Irin going?"
"Um—restroom." I lie. He nods. I shift my eyes to Vik, and he's about to get up, "Umm…" I don't know what to say, so I step my foot closer to Tytas. He glances at Vik after he sees me uncomfortable.
Then, he puts his hand on my back, not fully touching it. "Do you want to go somewhere?" He asks lightly.
I turn to look at Vik as he's drinking the whole glass with upsetting eyes. I look up at Tytas and nod.
He walks with me, his hand supporting me at the back, and tries not to let anybody bump into me.
"Your cheeks are pretty pink right now." He says, "Are you hot?" He asks
"Probably because of the drinks," I answer,
"I'm glad you seem to have fun." He halts. "I haven't seen you enjoy yourself like that before." He says
"I always enjoy myself—but you haven't seen it," I say.
His smile curls a bit while waiting for the drink at the bar without ordering anything.
I turn around, see tons of people coming in, and see a group of girls in fancy little dresses glaring at me. They must be Tytas's fangirls.
"I'm jealous—of Irin." He says. I turn to look at him. "She sees every part of you," he explains, grabs a drink and bottoms up. "And it seems like you allow only her to touch you like that." He says while looking at the bottom of the glass. I look at his behavior, and my eyes keep looking at his hand.
His words make my pulse rise a little, and only my skin can feel them.
He takes one more glass, "Shall we?" He asks.
"Where?" I ask,
"Our quiet space." He replies with a little smirk.